Many controlled studies over the past decade have emphasized the clinical role of music in neurologic rehabilitation. For example, regimented music therapy is known to directly enable cognition, motor and language enhancement. The process of listening to music enhances brain activity in many forms, igniting a widespread bilateral network of brain regions related to attention, semantic processing, memory, cognition, motor function and emotional processing.
Clinical data supports music therapy enhancing memory, attention, executive function, and mood. PET scan research on the neural mechanisms behind music revealed that pleasant music can stimulate a widespread network between the cortical and subcortical region including the ventral striatum, nucleus accumbens, amygdala, insula, hippocampus, hypothalamus, ventral tegmental area, anterior cingulate, orbitofrontal cortex, and ventral medial prefrontal cortex. The ventral tegmental area produces dopamine and has a direct connection to the amygdala, hippocampus, anterior cingulate and prefrontal cortex. This mesocorticolimbic system, which can be activated by music, plays a critical role in mediating arousal, emotion, reward, memory attention, and executive function.
Neuroscience research has revealed how the fundamental organization processes for memory formation in music shares a mechanism with the non-musical memory processes. The basis of phrase groupings, hierarchical abstractions, and musical patterns have direct parallels in temporal chunking principles for non-musical memory processes. This implies that memory processes activated with music could translate and enhance non-musical processes.
Accordingly, there remains a need for improved devices, systems, and methods for protecting the use of user identity and for securely providing personal information.